The Barringer meteor crater is an iconic Arizona landmark, more than 1km wide and 170 metres deep, left behind by a massive 300,000 tonne meteorite that hit Earth 50,000 years ago with a force equivalent…

The early solar system was once a turbulent place.
Flickr/Philippe PutSeptember 28, 2015

Meteors have been seen since people first looked at the night sky. They are comprised of small pieces of debris, typically no larger than a grain of dust or sand, which continually crash into the Earth’s…

A group of excited observers during a peak of the Geminids meteor shower.
Flickr/Tasayu TasnaphunJanuary 27, 2015

Watching meteors in the night sky can be fun, although typically you only see a few flashes an hour. But there are certain times of the year when you can see many more – events known as meteor showers…

Image captured December 2013 of several Geminids meteors seen from the Observatorio del Teide (IAC) in Tenerife.
Flickr/StarryEarthDecember 11, 2014

The best meteor shower of the year should put on an impressive display this weekend – weather permitting – with the annual Geminids poised to light up the sky with bright, long meteors visible as frequently…

Over in the northern hemisphere, where summer is in full swing, it’s the time of the Perseids meteor shower. Generally it’s their best shower of the year, with 100 meteors predicted each hour over August…